Switching from biochem to...what? Help.

College Majors
1

So I am the classic “switch from pre medicine” freshman student in college. Although I love science, I’m not sure I can see myself making all the way to medical school (because I’m not sure being a doctor is for me, not because I hate the classes or they’re too hard… well for now). Therefore I am still taking my pre medicine requirements but switching my major from biochemistry to something else. I know I don’t want to research. I am considering Finance for financial consulting, but I am not completely sure what it is they do, how often they work, or how much they generally make. I looked online but the data is all over the place for the most part. I was also considering statistics, but should I consider that over finance? To top it all off, I would like to learn general computer language because I know that will probably be useful wherever I go.

A little about me: I’m good at science, I am great at presenting, I am an intermediate learner (not too slow but not fast), I work hard and tend to spend a lot of time on an assignment making sure its good (even if it isn’t as important as another assignment… I try hard all across the board). I enjoy working in groups and being around people (however, I don’t enjoy constantly being around people, I like my alone time too). I over analyze everything. For example, my major. I do a lot of research and make pros and cons lists until I have made a clearly logical decision (this is why its killing me to decide my major, there are too many options and I don’t know how to narrow it down). I also enjoy budgeting as weird as that may seem (that’s why I was thinking finance, but I don’t see myself getting into looking at numbers all day until I can find something to invest in the market… so generally stocks are not my area of interest). I don’t want to be stuck in a cubical for the rest of my life. Although I need my alone time, I cannot stare at a computer screen all day or else I’ll go insane.

OK. so let me know. I am so incredibly lost at the moment and I’m not afraid to admit that I really need some advice. Please help however you can, it’ll mean a lot :slight_smile:

2

Have you taken classes in any other area? What do you like? The description of your interests really doesn’t necessarily have a bearing on the major you choose - because a lot of those characteristics can translate into every major and different interpretations of the outcomes for that major. For example, all kinds of majors can work in groups and around people, and there’s analytical work in most majors. You can learn a computer language in any major.

One exception: most jobs will have you staring at a computer screen for most of the day, but finance and statistics are two career fields that will definitely have you staring at a computer screen all day. The complex analysis these folks do are exclusively handled by computers.

What made you interested in being a doctor, and why are you changing your mind now? Working backwards may help you figure out what you want to do next. If you are still interested in medicine, but just don’t want to be a doctor, what about medical physics? Medical physicists usually get an MS in the field and use their physics knowledge to do medical imaging. You’d major in physics in college and then get an MS in medical physics…it’s a science, you won’t stare at a computer screen all day, it’s analytical, and you’d be interacting with patients and others on your care team.

Another suggestion is genetic counseling.